The Vernacular Press in Nineteenth Century, India

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The Vernacular Press in Nineteenth Century India Served not just as Newspapers but more Importantly as Views-Papers

The press in India was largely an English institution. The first newspaper that appeared was weekly ‘Bengal Gazette’ in 1780.

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Almost from the begin­ning of the 19th century, the politically conscious Indi­ans had been attracted to the press and they started publishing newspapers, journals and magazines not just in English but in vernacular languages too. Some of the important vernacular newspapers and magazines were Samachar Darpan, Sudhovani, Bangadarshan, Jnanodya, Vichar Lahiri, The Madras Courier, The Bombay Herald, etc.

In the 19th century, the national movement had not yet resorted to mass agitation. The main political task still was that of politicization, political propaganda and education and formation and propagation of national­ist ideology. The press was the chief instrument for carrying out this task that is for arousing, training, mobilizing and consolidating nationalist public opin­ion.

Even the work of the National Congress was accom­plished during these years largely through the vascular press. Its resolutions- and proceedings had to be propa­gated through newspapers. The influence of the press extended far beyond its literate subscribers. Nor was it confined to cities and large towns.

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Press was not in those days business enterprises, nor was the editors and journalists professionals. Newspapers were pub­lished as a national service and public view generators and propagators. A vernacular press was often consid­ered to be a political work and an agitator at a consider­able self-sacrifice. Just like a freedom fighter, the ver­nacular press played a heroic role, to fight against the colonial exploitation and to achieve country’s freedom.